The Games
by fadingvoice
Summary: The story of the first hunger games to ever take place. OCs
1. Chapter 1

My entire family sat in the living room in silence, each of us staring at something so that we wouldn't have to make eye contact with anyone, and then have to address the feelings that we were trying to keep from the surface.

I sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, sitting Indian-style and rocking the chair slightly, keeping my body moving, as I always did when I was anxious. My father sat on our thoroughly-worn love seat, staring at the spot where our TV used to be. We'd had to sell it once the rebellion started, using the money to pay for weapons: both to use against the Capitol as well as to protect ourselves. Just because the Capitol was a tyrant didn't make the people of district eleven any better. Desperate people did stupid things.

My dad had known the moment that our governor announced the decision to succeed from Panem, along with Districts 7, 9, 10, and 12, that bad times were ahead. At the age of fifteen, I learned to handle a gun. At the age of sixteen, my family officially joined "the rebellion," as the Capitol called it, after the Capitol had burned down our crops. One year later, and it was all over.

Initially, when the Capitol won the war, we all waited for the terrible retribution we knew was coming. We expected to be blown off the face of the earth, like 13, but I guess the Capitol needed our crops more than it wanted vengeance; only the leaders of the rebellion were executed, meaning that my entire family was safe. My best friend, Claire, was not so lucky. Her father had been the head of the District Eleven military forces. The entire population of District 11 was forced to gather at the Justice Hall and watch him hang.

My mother was the one to finally speak. "They can't seriously be doing this. They're just trying to make a point. What they're proposing...It's barbaric." None of us moved or responded in any way. She was right, of course, there wasn't anything more barbaric and horrific that I could think of than what the Capitol was about to do. Even bombing us into oblivion sounded more humane than what we'd been informed was going to happen.

Beside me, my sister sat with a stony face, but I could see her fingers trembling slightly. Only a year older than me, we were complete opposites. You would think that all we'd been through together would bring us closer, but Natasha became more closed off than she'd been before the war. Her emotions, where they had been hard to drag out before, seemed non-existent at this point. If you were able to see past her wall of long, blonde hair, you'd only be disappointed to see that behind them were pale, blue eyes which conveyed nothing but awareness. She'd shut herself off emotionally after all that we'd seen and done. We'd lived through war only to face something more horrific.

My brother, Henry, sat next to Natasha, his eyes to the ground as his legs bounced up and down. He was taller than me, even though he was three years younger. He and my sister shared the blonde hair trait, but my brother's eyes were like mine. Ours met briefly, then his darted to the clock.

1:26. In four minutes, we would be required to go to the Justice Hall and await our fate. Four minutes. It seemed too soon, but still an eternity away. I bent over to begin putting my heels on, knowing that this movement meant that I had given up any hope that the Capitol would call off their demand. I looked over at Natasha, who was mimicking me, and then to Henry, who put on his pre-tied tie. It occurred to me then how young we were. At fourteen, seventeen, and eighteen, we were children. Maybe not now, but before the war.

Before the war, I would just be entering adulthood; probably be thinking about getting married and having children. Any dreams of a better life I would have had died the moment my father put a gun in my hand and said, "This is how we live. This is how we die." I guess it didn't occur to him that, one day, they would take our guns away.

1:28. I could feel my heart beating faster. My family had always prided itself on keeping its composure, but I was faltering. I needed an audience. Someone to put on the show for. In front of my family, I was too comfortable with being fragile; and today, more than ever, even more than during the war, they needed me to be strong.

I'd always been the one in the family who could draw people in. I made them feel comfortable, wanted, and allowed them to believe that they could be themselves around me. I was the girl who everyone in District 11 knew and went to when they needed someone to talk to. When they needed me, I'd put on whatever face they needed, even if it wasn't what I was feeling. The only people I wasn't this way with were my family and Claire, all of whom I was thankful for; but, at this moment, I craved to have someone, anyone who needed to talk to me so that I would easily be able to slip into my role as the strong listener.

At 1:30, there was a knock at our door. Without waiting for anyone two answer, two Capitol soldiers entered our home, striding into the living room.

"All of you are required to report to the Justice Hall immediately," one said before directing his attention to me and my siblings. "From there, you will be given further instruction." Moments later, they had moved on to the next house, but their presence was felt even more than it had been when they had been in the room.

"Alright then," I said, forcing a small smile to my lips. "It's time to go." As though frozen in time, my family struggled to get up. Each seemed afraid that to move would be to never look back, which wasn't untrue.

"Barbaric," my mother muttered as we exited the front door. "This is absolutely barbaric." Outside, there were dozens of families, just like ours, making their way towards the center of town. I scanned them to see if I could find Claire, but she was nowhere amongst the crowd. It's probably for the best, I thought to myself. I needed to be with my family in these moments. Soon, we became just another cluster on the street that led to the Justice Hall.

Once there, the soldiers separated my siblings and me from my parents, causing my mother to panic. Although she did nothing, I saw my mother's eyes widening, tempted to call out our names, but not daring to. My father went where he was directed, keeping his head down in shame. I turned from them, not wanting them to see the tears that were beginning to form in my eyes. I would see them again, I assured myself. I concentrated on believing that everything would be alright.

My siblings and I were ushered into an area where other kids were waiting in a single-file line. It seemed to go on for eternity, so I kept busy by making conversation with the girls in line behind me. Sisters, ages twelve and fourteen, who had never done anything for or against the Capitol. They'd simply lived their lives and gotten caught in the cross-fire. That seemed to be the case of quite a few of the people of District 11. They didn't really care who ruled, as long as there was food on the table and a roof over their heads. I couldn't say I blamed them.

I eventually got to the front of the line, where I was forced to be finger-pricked for a blood sample, then made to take a head shot. Natasha and Henry, who had gone before me, had been serious in their photos, almost lifeless, determined not to let the Capitol see their sadness, or their fear. I wished for a moment that I could be like them, stoic in the face of the enemy. But I wasn't them, I was me; and the only thing I could think to do to show that I was not defeated, that I would not be defeated, was smile.

The soldier operating the camera looked slightly puzzled, but waved me on. Once I'd gone through the process, I was directed to a group that was filled with all of the other girls from my district. Looking through the crowd, I couldn't find Natasha, but did find the red, curly hair that belonged to my best friend. Pushing my way through the crowd, I found my way to Claire, who was visibly relieved to have me there with her.

"Isn't this a mess?" she asked, gesturing to everything that was going on around us. "And there aren't even any cute boys to pass the time with." I laughed, knowing that she knew as well as I did that, even if we did have boys around, no one would be in the mood to flirt.

"Do you have any idea when it's supposed to start?" I could feel my legs aching, stiff from standing for too long. It seemed like all of us were asking that question, an unmistakable grumbling rippling across the area we were being contained in.

In front of us, on the steps of the Justice Hall, stood four soldiers, dressed in the white Capitol attire. Glancing around, I saw that the entire outline of where we were standing was bordered by Capitol soldiers. Even if it did occur to me to run, I had about a one in five billion chance of making it out alive. The Capitol had spared no expense as far as security was concerned. Maybe they thought that the people of District Eleven would try to fight the horrible injustice that was occurring, but I doubted it. They knew that they'd crushed us to the point where were wouldn't fight back, even being treated this way. My guess was that they wanted to assert their power over us more firmly. To remind the people of my district that the Capitol was supreme, and would continue to be.

"Four," Claire replied. Somehow she always seemed to know everything about everything that occurred in District 11. At first, I thought it was just because her dad was the leader of our forces. Now, however, I know it's just that's she's resourceful. She knows things because she makes it a point to know everything that's going on. As for me, I have always been content with just getting through it. I don't need to know every detail about something, just how long I needed to hold my breath until it's over. Claire was my opposite, but in a totally different direction from Natasha. A year older than me, Claire was constantly filling her head with information, even before the war. I could find her almost any day with her head in a book or learning a trade that she found useful. She'd learned to sew, cook, and set traps, all in one summer when we were younger. That's not to say that I was stupid or lazy, I was just never driven in the way that she was. She sought knowledge for its own sake, I accepted the knowledge that was forced on me.

"Any idea what time it is?"

She looked up at the sun, one hand coming up to provide a bit of protection from the sun. "About 3:55, give or take a minute." Another talent that she'd acquired when it suited her. She'd tried to teach me, but I was mediocre at best, which happened with everything she'd tried to teach me. Where she excelled, I was passable.

As though everyone had heard her, we all became quiet. Even the boys, on the opposite side, limited their conversations to whispers. Tension mounted as it became clear that this was both real and going to happen. Claire took my hand, squeezing it to give me the assurance that she was there and that everything would be alright. It would all be over in a matter of minutes, I told myself. I just had to survive from 4 o'clock to 4:15. If I could last those fifteen minutes, it would all be over.

If we had been quiet before, we were silent as the doors of the Justice Hall opened, revealing a Capitol solider in white, with gold embroidery along the cuffs, followed by two camera crews. As he approached the front of the steps, a microphone was placed in front of him, and the camera crews separated, one going to the girls side and one to the boys side.

"People of District Eleven," he began, standing up straight, his hands clasped together behind his back. "As you have been informed by the Capitol, in order for there to be justice for the betrayal of the districts against the Capitol, from now on, each year, one male and one female between the ages of twelve and eighteen from districts 1 through 12 will be chosen to compete in a fight to the death. They will serve as sacrifices. A tribute to the Capitol of the loyalty of your district. One victor will remain." His voice was even, which chilled me more than it would have if he'd been harsh. He was unfeeling, aloof to the worry and dread that was evident on every face in the crowd. "This is how you will repay the debt you owe to the Capitol for not making you meet the same fate as District 13." I felt Claire tense at the mention of the district which had been completely destroyed in the war.

"Should someone from your district win," the soldier continued, "your district will be given special privileges and benefits until the winner of the next years' has been decided as a sign of the Capitol's generosity. If the children from your district die, you will carry on as you had before." It shook me to the core to hear him say such a thing. Things would go on as before? If we lost, two people-two _children_ would be dead. Nothing would be the same as it had been. I scanned the crowd, finding Henry's face among the mess of faces. What would it be like to "go on as before" if he died? There would be no going back, not if I lost anyone I knew. Especially not anyone I loved like I did Claire or my siblings.

Claire turned to me. "Don't worry," she assured me. "This can't last. We just need to get back on our feet again before we can fight these monsters into oblivion. I can't believe they're doing this to us. Animals." Looking at the soldier, as well the as the others, I felt anger begin to stir. Still, they didn't look any less human. They were just behaving like it. How they could look at all of us, like sheep ready for the slaughter, and not stop it, not even have the decency to look somewhat distressed, was beyond me.

I looked at the other standing around me. Most were younger than fifteen, if I judged correctly. The war may have hardened us and made us into adults more quickly, but the fear in our eyes betrayed our real ages at this moment. We were all thinking the same thing. Only one boy and one girl would be selected. Just one. That being the case, there was a really good chance that you weren't it. But still, there was the chance that you were.

"Now, for the selection." The doors to the Justice Hall opened, revealing two men in white rolling two large, glass bowls on a cart towards the speaker. We all stilled as we noted that the bowls were filled with little slips of paper. "Ladies first."

Claire gripped my hand tightly, to the point that I thought she would crush it, but I welcomed the pain. It took me to a place that was only half-way in reality, the other half a place where all that mattered was the pain. Neither of us dared to look at each other, afraid of what we might see the other doing, our eyes straight ahead at the soldier, who carefully placed his hand deep into the bowl, shifting his hand around for a moment before lifting his hand, a small slip of paper between in pointer finger and thumb.

A name was called.

And that name was mine.


	2. Chapter 2

Please R&R if you get the chance. I'll return the favor!

* * *

"Eden Carlyle."

Claire immediately let go of my hand, like I was diseased, and took a few steps back. Others had mimicked her actions, giving me more space than I had had in all my years of living in District 11. Everyone's eyes were glued on me, but mine were on the speaker. I noticed movement in my peripheral and realized a moment later that it was one of the camera crews, come to get a shot of the girl from District 11 who would pay for the sins of her district against the Capitol.

Only seconds had passed, but I felt as though my entire life had gone by in the silence that encompassed these moments. The speaker gestured for me to come to the stage with his hand, so I did. The other children made a wide path for me, making sure that they weren't close enough to be touched. I could hear my mother wailing in the background, but didn't dare to look back. I was in shock, and knew that looking at her would break the spell and make all of this real. As long as I didn't look at anyone but the speaker, none of this was real. He offered me a hand to help me onto the stage, then quickly released me, leaving me slightly off balance.

"Eden Carlyle," he continued, his eyes locked on mine. "You have been selected to compete in the first Games. How old are you?" He pushed the microphone to my mouth, startling me slightly.

"Seventeen, sir." I didn't remove my gaze from him, even as he removed the microphone and began to speak again. Behind me, I could feel the presence of the camera crew, documenting my every moment for whatever purpose.

"Now, for the boys." The soldier's hand once again disappeared into a glass bowl, taking his time before pulling out another slip of paper.

"I volunteer!" a voice shouted from the boys' side. I took my eyes away fro the soldier for a moment to look into the crowd, seeing a boy waving his hand wildly, trying to make his way to the stage. "I volunteer! No one else should have to die."

I hear a sound like thunder go off next to me, and can't help from jumping in shock and fear. I see a red circle in the middle of the boy's head briefly, before his body slumps to the ground. I look back to the soldier who stands in front of the microphone, wishing I'd never taken my eyes off of him. He holds a gun at arms length, a slight bit of smoke still coming from the barrel.

"Does anyone else want to be brave?" he inquires sarcastically, grabbing the microphone with his free hand. "Does anyone else want to volunteer." He points the gun in different directions, drawing gasps of fear and widened eyes from the crowd. "Do you want to be brave?" He now holds the barrel of the gun to my forehead, something that isn't new to me. My father taught me not to be afraid in the face of death, seeing as it was more than possible that I might die in battle during the war. He made sure that I would face death without fear.

But in this moment, with a soldier asking me if I want to be brave, I shake my head. I am a coward. I want want to live.

"Alright," he says, placing the gun back in its place on his hip, "then let's get on with it." In the scuffle, he had placed the slip of paper he'd retrieved on the side of the cart, which he now retrieved. He looked into the crowd for a moment, then read the name.

"Daniel Abrams."

I suddenly understood the reaction that everyone else had had to my name. For a moment, I wanted to shrink back. Here was someone chosen to die, to be a puppet for the Capitol's games, and it was reviling; and yet, I knew that he had no choice, just I didn't. The boys spread apart for him to make his way to the stage, where the soldier also asked him his age.

"I'm sixteen, sir." My heart dropped to look at him. He was visibly shaking, and it was obvious that he hadn't worked a day in his life. His hands were delicate, and he had a few pounds to spare, which meant that he'd come from one of the wealthier families. Well, one of the wealthier ones before the war. His face was ash white, his green eyes frantic.

"You two have been given the task of representing your district in the Games," For the first time, the speaker seemed to fumble for words. When the words did come, I almost wish they hadn't. "Do not dishonor your district, whether in living or dying." Die well, basically. Don't go crying, screaming, or begging. I clenched my fists, trying to force all of my emotions through them.

A moment later, the soldiers disbanded their military wall and came to surround Daniel and me.

"Follow me," the leader, who had been the speaker, directed, and so we did. We didn't really have a choice, unless we wanted to die like the boy who had volunteered. I looked back briefly, only to see that no one had made an attempt to retrieve his body. His body lay lifeless on the ground, a pool of blood surrounding his head.

Once inside, he led us into a room, bringing two other soldiers with him, then closed the door. "My name is Sergeant Delco. I am assigned with transporting the two of you to the Games unharmed. That means no fighting between the two of you, although I doubt there will be any of that." He smirked as he looked between the two of us. In the next few moments, your families will be brought here so that you can say your goodbyes. You will have five minutes. Don't waste them." After his speech, Delco and the other soldiers exit.

Daniel looks at me, his eyes expectant, as though I am supposed to have some amazing plan to save us from this fate. His hopes amount to nothing, I've got nothing.

The door opens and in bursts my mother, tears streaming down her face, followed by my mother, father, Natasha, and Henry. I half-hoped that Claire would be with them, but Sergeant Delco had said that it would be my family I would get to say goodbye to. Behind my family is Daniel's, dressed in clothes that I new for a fact were worth more than my entire family's wardrobe combined. Despite being more happily situated in life, fate had dealt them the same hand it had dealt my family. They were losing their child just like mine was losing me. His mother's face was also covered in tears.

My mother was the first to embrace me, followed by Natasha, then Henry. My father approached me slowly, carefully, then cupped my face in his hands.

"Listen to me, Eden," he commanded, making sure that I made eye contact with him. "You've been through war and I'm sorry that I put you through it only to have you end up here, but I can't change anything and, now, I have to be completely honest with you. You may have experience fighting, but so does probably every other kid going into these Games. They'll be better than you. You can't win." I feel gut wrenching and my heart aching at his words, fighting to believe that he's wrong. To believe that I can win. "Your only chance is to keep from going in at all."

"How do I do that?" I questioned, confused and still frustrated at his lack of faith in me, however well-grounded. He looked me up and down.

"You know the effect you can have on people. Make someone, anyone, fall in love with you who can get you out. By whatever means necessary." There was no mistaking his point. In his mind, if I entered the Games, I was dead. My only hope was to make someone important want to keep me alive long enough not to have to go in. "Do you understand me." I nodded, making sure to look him square in the eye. I understood my father now. He'd rather have me shamed and alive than die with my honor.

Sergeant Delco and the other soldiers entered the room seconds later, their presence saying what they didn't have to. It was time to go. I hugged my siblings, then my mother, once again, then went to Sergeant Delco. Daniel looked as though he was going to spend a few more minutes with his family, but one of the soldiers grabbed his arm and began pulling him away. As we left the room, I turned to look at my family. They all watched me with wide eyes, as though I were a stranger whose face they were trying to memorize. I made eye contact with my father, once again, and nodded, before focusing my eyes on the path ahead of me.

It was then I decided that I didn't care about bringing honor to my district, or to my family. I would do whatever it took to stay alive.


	3. Chapter 3

We left the Justice Hall and walked the half mile to the train tracks, my nicest dress being covered in soil along the way. I'd tried to walk in my heels in the beginning, but made it about twenty yards before my feet were aching and I had to stop to remove them. I didn't know where we were going, but I was already beginning to form a plan in my mind.

All of the soldiers who had been present at the selection ceremony surrounded Daniel and me, as though trying to protect us from anything that might want to hurt us. It seemed funny, seeing as they were protecting us only to send us to our deaths. Ironic.

I figured that, with about twenty-plus men surrounding me, there had to be at least one who would be willing to help a poor, defenseless _child_. Still, I knew that there was no way that they would help me escape Scot free, because then they would be held accountable. They would have to find another girl to take my place, and they wouldn't save one girl just to replace her with another simply out of pity.

I hardened my heart as I came to the realization that I had little to offer, only my body, which meant that my purity would have to be given to whatever soldier was willing to put another girl in my place. Only hours ago, I would've sworn that I would never want another girl in my place, that I would never trade my body for freedom, and that I'd hold to my morals no matter what. One life changing event and suddenly it all meant nothing compared to the hope of living.

At the tracks, a train hummed in expectation of departure. The front end looked like a passenger train, while the other half seemed to be four livestock cars. Veering to the left, we were led to the second livestock car. Unlike normal cars, the door for this was like the door to a house, with a deadbolt and four other locks keeping it shut. Taking out a key ring, Sergeant Delco unlocked the door one lock after another, then opened the door which, once opened, only showed darkness. Taking Daniel by the arm, Delco hoisted him up into the car, giving him a push to make sure that he was all the way in. Swiftly, he shut the door and then re-locked it. One of the film crews had been right by the door, filming every moment of Daniel's entrance.

Sergeant Delco then looked at me, leaning his head to the left to motion that I would be in the next car. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of throwing me in, I moved through the soldiers so that I was leading the way alongside the Sergeant, forcing my camera crew to hurry if they wanted to get any glimpse of me. After he had unlocked the door, I lifted my arms, allowing him access to my waist. Once I'd been lifted onto the car, I grabbed the door to keep from being pushed in. I turned to look at the twenty or so soldiers who were watching me, waiting for me to back into the darkness. Scanning their faces, they looked impatient, if not slightly unnerved. Maybe they thought I would try to make a break for it. I remembered my father's words. I would have to make one of these fall for me to the point that he would betray the Capitol to have me.

But there were so many flaws to this plan. If the train never stopped and went all the way to the Capitol, there was no way I'd be able to trade places with a Capitol girl. One girl from the districts was like any other because we'd never had population documentation, but the Capitol was completely different. They had every person accounted for, or at least that's what I'd heard, which meant that, if I was to switch, it would have to be outside of the Capitol, if that was even an option. Another flaw would be the man himself. If I picked the wrong man, it was all over. If I picked the right man at the wrong time, it was still over. There were so many things that could go wrong with this plan; but it was the only plan I had, so I had to run with it.

My gaze then fixed on the camera held in the hands of one of the cameramen. I leaned against the door for a moment, then smiled at the lens. This seemed to only make the soldiers, and the camera crew, more nervous.

"Thank you for walking me to my car," I said, beginning to slowly shut the door, making the darkness behind me that much darker. "Enjoy your ride." With that, I shut the door completely. In all his efficiency, Sergeant Delco immediately locked the door. Turning, I saw that the car was dimly lit, with one window on each of the two longer sides, barred to keep me from escaping. There was an odor to the car that could only be described as rank. To my right, there was a bucket which I assumed was either for water or waste. In the corner across from me, there were two more buckets, and then, in the corner to my far left, was a pile of hay. A dark figure lay on the hay, causing me to gasp.

"Hello?" I questioned warily. The figure moved, getting off of the hay and stepping into the little light provided by the window. She was tiny, about a head shorter than me, with raven hair and blue eyes. She looked more frightened than anything, but I could tell that she hadn't had a bath in a few days and wasn't exactly well fed. She stood there, in the light, silently for what felt like forever. "It's alright. I won't hurt you." I could almost feel the tension running through her body begin to lessen at my voice, but I stayed where I was, not wanting to scare her.

"What's your name?"

"Cora." Her voice was high-pitched and, even though she'd hardly whispered her name, the sound fill the car. Suddenly, I felt the car begin to shake, causing me to lose my balance. Bracing myself against the wall to try to regain it, I realized that the train was pulling away. We were leaving District 11, the only place I had ever known. Rather than think about all that I was losing in these moments, I turned my attention to the little girl who was just as frightened, if not more so, as I was.

"How old are you, Cora?" I inquired, moving towards the pile of hay. I tossed aside the precaution I'd had before with the realization that this was all that was left of my life. Both of our lives.

She followed suit, moving back into the darkness and settling into the hay. Moments later, I sat down beside her.

"I'm twelve. From District 12." All I could think of was the word my mother had used. Barbaric. She was so young, maybe even young enough not to know womanhood yet, and they were going to make her fight to the death against 23 others, some of which might be my age or older. How fair would that be, to pit a twelve year-old against an eighteen year-old? It was more than unfair.

"How long have you been on the train?" I glanced around, once again, to take in our current home. The lone pale was definitely the bathroom. I'd gotten used to the foul odor, but that didn't mean that it was gone.

"A day, maybe two." My stomach dropped to hear this, filling my mind with questions. How could they treat a little girl this way? One would think that I'd finally be beyond surprise at the cruelty of the Capitol, but somehow, they always found a way to surpass themselves.

"Do they feed you? Have they let you out of the car?" Panic began to drill its way into my head. They were going to lock me in here to die, which seemed a worse fate than dying at someone's hands.

"They come through the door over there," she replied, pointing to a door much like the one I'd come through that was by the two pales, "twice a day. I was allowed to walk outside for a while when we stopped last time, before you got on, but other than that, no." My heartbeat slowed slightly, they didn't intend to starve us or keep us in here forever. Of course not, they had to offer us up to the Games.

"What district are you from?" she asked, picking up a piece of straw and folding it in halves until it couldn't be folded anymore.

"Eleven." I stood on my tip toes, grabbing onto the bottom of the window to try to pull myself up. Eventually, I was able to lift myself enough to catch a glimpse of what was outside. Orange trees, everywhere. We were definitely reaching the outskirts of my district.

"I've never been there," she stated, not really meaning anything by it.

"Well, you're in it now." We both were quiet for a moment, knowing that this the few moments she'd gotten off of the train didn't count. She was the first to break the silence.

"What was the uprising like in your district?" she inquired, her voice soft but her eyes inquisitive. For a moment, I allowed myself to think about all that had happened during that time. As a rule, I tended to avoid the topic. There was too much I'd seen and done over the course of it, too many people lost, for me to think about. But in this one moment, I allowed memories to stream like a river, flooding and powerful enough to drown me if I let them; but I didn't. I was stronger than my grief.

"Terrible," I replied, not wanting to say what I'd just relived out loud. "How about in 12?" She nodded.

"The same. The Capitol closed down the coal mines, so none of the men could work. We were all starving to death, but the men who led the uprising wouldn't give in." Her eyes seemed to glaze over at the memory. I pitied her, having my own memories of being starving. When the Capitol burned down our crops, my family would go days at a time without food. It was only through the goodwill of Claire's family, who'd been well off before the uprising, that we survived at all.

"Were you a part of the uprising?" She looked towards the window, to freedom, shaking her head.

"No, my papa didn't think it was right. We'd already lost my mamma when my brother was really little, and he didn't want to risk us losing him too." I couldn't fault Cora's father for not joining the uprising so that he could be a father to his children, but it seemed that even staying out of the uprising hadn't been able to keep his family safe.

My father hadn't thought that way, he thought that it was our duty to stand against the Capitol, to show them that we were not slaves to them. If he thought about what might happen to him, or any of us, he didn't say so. We all marched into war with no thought to anything but the "after." What would happen once the war was over. Even then, I had no idea what would happen "after" other than the Capitol would stop burning our fields.

"They were putting up fences by the woods in my district," Cora began, breaking me from the thoughts of my father. "They say it's to keep us safe. That the radiation from 13 will kill you if you enter the woods."

"I'd be surprised if they did anything to keep us safe," I scoffed, leaning further into the hay. "Lately, they've definitely been screwing us over."

"That's true," she admitted, "but still, I wouldn't want to take my chances."

"I'd say I'd have a better chance in the woods than where they're sending us," I joked, sarcasm strong in my voice. "But we are where we are."

"Yes," she agreed, closing her eyes and relaxing into the hay. "We are where we are." Moments later, I could hear her steady breathing, her mind hopefully far from where we were. She was a cute kid but, I knew, though I hated it, that I couldn't save her. I could hardly think of a way to save myself. Even my plan had a 99% chance of failing. I looked at her, young and inexperienced, and knew that she would be one of the first to die. I also knew that I couldn't be, _wouldn't_ be, the one to kill her. Knowing that there was nothing else to do, I allowed the tension that had filled in my chest since the beginning of the day to dissipate as I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.


	4. Chapter 4

I awoke to the sound of something shifting. Looking over at Cora, I saw that she was still asleep, then towards the window. The sky was darkening, but a slight bit of light still shown through. The shifting got louder as the door near the food and water pales began to open.

In walked one of the soldiers, still dressed in his white suit, with two pales of replacement food and water. My initial thought was to jump on this opportunity, seeing as it might be the only one I get, but thought the better of it. There was no way I could coerce a man to help me escape in the time it took for him to put down two pales and pick the other two up. No, I would bide my time until I had more. For now, I would have to settle for laying the groundwork.

"Where are we going?" I asked him sweetly, sitting up in the hay and leaning over just enough so that he could see a bit of my cleavage. I wasn't well-endowed by anyone's standards, but I also knew that all of the soldiers were male and, unless he was gay, he wasn't getting any. Confirming this suspicion, I watched his eyes gaze at my chest for a few seconds, then scan the rest of my body until his eyes met mine. I was used to this. Back home, I'd been stared at like a fresh piece of meat often, ever since I hit puberty.

The soldier wasn't altogether unattractive. Probably in his early-to-mid twenties, I couldn't say I found him attractive nor unattractive. Part of that might have been because we were mostly in the dark though.

He simply stared at me for a few moments before answering. "We're not allowed to tell you. Capitol's orders," he stuttered out, breaking his gaze to put the pales down.

"I won't tell if you don't," I teased, smiling while using my bicep muscles to squeeze my breasts together in order to make them look larger. It had the desired effect, because his eyes seemed glued to me. "What's your name?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you that either." He moved towards the door, making my heart drop, but he stopped.

His back to me, he said, "Laius. My name is Laius." After that, he quickly shut the door, locking it, and leaving me in the silent dark.

Laius. I knew at that moment that he would be the one to help me escape. All I would need was a little more time to sink my teeth into him, and he'd help me. He still hadn't answered my question about where we were going, but I could guess. If Cora was from 12, and I was from 11, it only made sense that 10 would be next. How long it would take us to get to 10, I had no idea. All I knew was that my chances of escaping dwindled by the hour, so I would need to get out sooner rather than later. Soon, but no _too_ soon.

Cora stirred beside me, her eyes fluttering open.

"What time is it?" she asked automatically, seemingly out of habit.

"Probably some time after 8." The light was now completely gone from the sky, which happened later this time of year.

"Did they bring more food and water?"

"Yup, he came just a little while ago." Half-crazed, she rushed towards the buckets, emerging her face in the water. For a moment, I thought about doing the same, but decided against it.

"Cora," I coddled, kneeling next to her as she continued to lap up water and food, rubbing her back. "Cora, slow down, honey." For a moment, she paused, then looked up at me. "We're not animals." Although, looking at where we were, we were being treated that way. Cora continued to look at me, confusion, and a slight bit of irritation, evident.

In response, I lifted the water with my two hands, careful not to let any drop, and began sipping. Cora nodded, but seemed disinterested. Shrugging, I allowed her to have her fill without trying to comment. After a few moments, she looked at me warily, offering me the buckets while making it obvious that she didn't really want to share. For a moment, I seriously considered starving myself to death. Better to die my way than theirs, right?

Then I remembered the hundreds of people in District Eleven who'd died of starvation after the Capitol burnt down our crops. With bones jutting out far enough to break the skin, they seemed like shadows of their former selves. It was a slow, painful process where the soul left the body before the body was actually gone.

The first time I'd actually seen a starved corpse, I was amazed at how much like a prop from a movie it looked like. Then I remembered that it was a person, who'd had a family and a life; and then I puked. From then on, I would be doing a lot of puking. It was just one of those things that never got easier for me. Seeing a body.

I shook myself from the thought. Besides, the Sergeant Delco had said that his job was to get me to the Games unharmed. Somehow, I didn't think that a corpse would count as unharmed. Taking the pales from Cora, I looked in them to see that there wasn't much left, but my guess was that there hadn't been much to begin with. I fed myself enough to keep my stomach quiet, another talent I'd learned from the famine caused by the Capitol, then handed the pale back to Cora. She gobbled down what was left of the food, pleased that I had left more for her. Maybe I wasn't helping her in the long run but, I figured, there was no long run. Our days were counting down. How many days were left, I didn't know, but I didn't intend to find out.

The water pale was half full at this point, but I didn't want to waste it. From what Cora had said, this water would have to supply us until morning. I lifted the pale just enough so that I could sip from it, then put it back down. Having long since grown accustomed to the movement of the train, I stood up and removed my dress. Walking over to the window, I stood on my tip toes to tie the body of the dress to one of the bars. Once I was sure that it was secure, I turned around to see Cora staring at me, her eyes wide with shock.

"What are you doing?" she questioned, her body still as a board. What made her so frigid in the presence of a girl in her underwear? Or was it simply that my actions were so unexpected that caused her to react that way?

"Taking a bath," I stated, kneeling by the pale, wetting my hands, and then rubbing them across my body. I knew that this wouldn't get me completely clean, but it was better than smelling like a stye and being covered in dirt for days. Cora watched me in odd fascination, then retreated to the hay. "What? You don't want one?" She shook her head violently. "Okay..."

"What about your dress? Why did you tie it to the bars?"

"To air it out. It smells like urine in here." The sound of the train filled our silence.

"Why?" I looked towards her.

"Why what?"

"Why does it matter? Why take baths, or smell nice, when it doesn't matter where we're going?" I thought for a moment, how I must look to her. A girl, sentenced to death, caring about how she looks. I knew that, for my plan to escape, I had to keep up my appearance so that these guards would find me attractive. To her, though, who had no idea what I was planning, I must have seemed out of my mind.

I lay down in the hay, feeling the scratchy straw against my bare skin, next to her and let out a sigh. "In the words of better people who died instead of me, 'If you're going to die, make sure that, when the enemy looks at your corpse, they have to see you as human. Not as the enemy.'"

"What else would they see you as?" Cora questioned, her voice quiet in the darkness. My mind began to answer this question before I was even aware of it. Pictures of the white blobs whose faces were blurred either by distance or face masks. What had they been to me when I'd shot at them? At the time, they hadn't seemed human to me. But if they weren't human, what were they? What did I see them as?

"A point of view."


	5. Chapter 5

From then on, Cora bathed with me every night. She still kept her dress on, but slowly began to seem less uncomfortable with me being half-naked. Laius had never come back to change our pales. Instead, a new guard was issued for every refill. At this, my heart broke and an emptiness in the pit of my stomach began to grow. With a new guard daily, it was impossible to form a connection that would enable me to escape. The knowledge that I was definitely going to die began to eat away with me. No way out. There was no way out.

Days began to blend together. We'd picked up the girls from 10 and 9 and, in the time I got out of the car, I saw that the boys from 10, 12, and 9, were nothing like Daniel. 12 and 10 were tall, lean, and muscular to boot. The boy from 9 was short and stocky, but obviously built like a rock. My father was right, I was not the only one who'd fought in the war. It only made me more sure that I was doomed.

Shortly after we picked up the girl from 9, I realized that not all hope was lost. That night, the door creaked open, and Laius walked in.

"Laius!" I exclaimed, startled and happy beyond words. "I thought I would never see you again." He blushed, obviously feeling awkward at having been recognized.

"Hello, I..." Damning the caution that I thought had cost me my chance at freedom, I threw my arms around him, embracing him tightly. He looked to the other girls, who slept on the hay pile. "I-I have to go."

"Laius." I reached for his hand, holding it gently. "Please." He let out a deep breath, looking towards the door that led to the unknown car. It was mostly closed, but I could tell that he was afraid of whatever was only the other side. Other soldiers, probably. Still, I could feel the heat pulsating from his body.

"Next time you get off the train. We'll talk then." I kissed him quickly on the lips, then allowed him to return to the other car. I stood there for a moment, just staring at the door. My hope of salvation was right on the other side. I didn't know what had made him willing to help me, but I could only thank God that he had decided to.

Turning around, I saw the shadow of Devine, the girl from 10, glaring at me.

"Capitol whore," she spat, venom in her voice. Her father had been a rebellion leader, executed immediately at the end of the uprising. She lay back down and I, having just found my way of escape, didn't want to deal with it. In just a few days, Laius would help me escape.

The next morning, neither Cora nor the girl from 9 would look at me. Devine had obviously told them what happened, and there really was nothing that I could say to defend myself. It was exactly what it looked like. Still, there was that part of me that hated people being unhappy, especially because of me. It was habit.

They'd managed to lay in a particular way that kept me from being able to sit on it, so I had three options: one, sit next to the door I originally came through, two, sit next to the excrement bucket, and three, sit next to the food and water pales. Somehow, I felt that my best choice was by the food and water. If nothing else, it would keep the other girls from trying to starve me to death. I could feel Devine's hatred radiating from her, even though she was laying down with her eyes closed. If I were going into the Games, she would be the girl I fear most. She reminded me of my sister, Natasha, in a way. Both had a need to be dominant.

The girl from 9 was unassuming and meek, going along with Devine because she happened to be the strongest personality...At least, the strongest personality who wasn't a "Capitol whore." I didn't even begin to try to sort out Cora. The young girl became uneasy at the mere sight of a woman in undergarments; I didn't want to know what had made her become that way.

The days passed slowly, with no one saying much. My silence was because I was an outcast, the silence from the other girls was to shun me. But what they didn't understand was that the silence didn't both me. I'd spent all of my life being surrounded by constant voices, asking me to listen to their troubles and hopes and wants, and, for once, the only voice I had to listen to was my own. It also gave me time to think about my plan.

I knew the basics. Step 1) Get a guard to help me. Check. Step 2) Escape, Step 3) Find my way to somewhere new...

Where else could I go? I couldn't return home, that would kill me and my family for sure. Maybe I could join another district, but that somehow didn't sit well with me. Even if people weren't properly documented like they were in the Capitol, people were bound to notice a new, teenage girl in their area. My only option was to live in the out lands, the woodland part of a district somewhere. But could I live alone, with no one but myself for company? Would I go insane through lack of human interaction?

Even if I did go insane from loneliness, I would rather be insane than dead. Those details were just that, details. Things that I would figure out as they happened.

One afternoon, I'm guessing three days after the silent treatment began, I decided that I was tired of silence. I began to sing one of the songs handed down through the generations of my family. As I began the second stanza, Devine snapped.

"Shut up!" We had all been laying down but, as if by some magical force, everyone shot up.

"Why?" I asked, trying to hide the snarkiness in my tone, the peacemaker in me wanting to patch things over.

"Because you suck." she stated, more as a challenge than a fact.

"B.S.," I retorted.

"Just shut up!" she yelled, becoming slightly more frantic. It was obvious that Devine wasn't used to people challenging her, especially people that she had backed into a corner (both figuratively and literally).

"Or what?" My voice was quiet, but firm. "You'll kill me? I mean, might as well, I'm going to die anyway." She smirked.

"Oh, I'll kill you alright, but not here. I want you to die for the Capitol's entertainment, you slut. And I hope that your soldier boy is watching, cheering me on as I slit your throat."

For a moment, we simply glared at each other. The girl from 9, in my peripheral vision, had turned an unhealthy shade of white, while Cora kept her head down, trying to hide her face with her hair.

With my eyes locked on Devine, I knew what she must think of me. Here are the men who are leading us to our deaths, and it looks like I'm romantically involved with one. Who wouldn't be pissed? Still, I wasn't sure that I wanted to back down to her. If she thought she had won, that could make life more miserable for me.

I glanced out the window, trying to gauge the time. How many more days could it be until we reached the next district and Laius helped me escape? Did my pride or my relationships with these girls really matter since I was jumping ship as soon possible anyway?

I once again made direct eye contact with Devine, making sure that I had her full attention. "Fair enough," I agreed, shrugging my shoulders, lifting my arms as though to say, "What can you do?" She looked at me in disbelief, not sure how to respond to my non-surrender, surrender.

Devine's face twisted into anger and rage as she spat, "You're a disgusting human being."

"Yeah," I admitted. I knew that I was, "but I'm going to live."


	6. Chapter 6

Before I begin this next chapter, I want to first say thank you to Anla'shok for faithful reading and reviewing (thank you!), as well as to lozza xox for following the story.

Another thing before you begin reading this chapter: This chapter contains more mature content than the previous chapters.

The next morning, the train stopped. For a moment, I wasn't sure that it was real, I was so used to the motion, but it was. All for of us looked at each other in anticipation. Cora, Devine, and I knew what was coming, and the girl from 9 had been filled in, but there was a little more apprehension this time around. Not only was a new girl going to be added to the car, but that meant that there were still seven other districts to go. I hadn't been able to keep track of how many days I'd been in the car, my mind having been preoccupied with other things, but I figured that it was at least a week that I'd been in the car. It had felt like forever since I'd been outside, and I could feel my body tensing in anticipation.

From the other stops, I knew that we still had a few hours before they would begin allowing us out. It would be just long enough before the newbies arrived that we got some air, but just little enough time so that we didn't get too energetic. The point was to keep us sluggish enough that we wouldn't think of making a break for it. You would think that, with so many kids who'd fought in the uprising, someone would have. I guess, when push came to shove, we would do what we were told. We were just kids, after all. When told to fight and kill the enemy, we do. When made to be like sheep for a slaughter, we are.

The hours passed by brutally slowly as we sat in the train. The heat, which had been minimized by the airflow as the train moved, became unbearable in the immobile car. Everyone seemed to cast all pretense aside as we sweat together. Cora disregarded Devine's wish that I be out-casted when she came to sit by the water pales, dipping a hand in and then rubbing it across her forehead. She would continue to do that for the rest of the afternoon. Eventually, all of us were camped around the water pale. Even if I was a despicable human-being in their eyes, it was more important to be cool than to ostracize me.

Eventually, the original door opened and in stepped Laius. He pointed at Cora and, moments later, the door was shut again. We waited in silence, all of us looking out the window at the sky. Today we would get to touch it, if only for a moment.

The girl from 9 went next, then Devine, and then it was my turn. Laius returned Devine to the car, then pointed to me. I straightened my dress, reminded myself that this was my one chance, and then went with him.

For a moment, I used my hand to block my eyes from the sun, which was substantially brighter than in the train car. The train station in district 8 had obviously been bombed by the Capitol. Fragments of walls that used to be part of the building stood, while the destruction left from the bombings lay scattered across the ground. It was a wonder that a train was able to pass through here at all. Maybe the Capitol had decided to have the tracks cleaned up for the very purpose of picking up children and sending them to their deaths.

Sergeant Delco was also out, escorting the boy from 9, but in a different direction than Laius was taking me. He hid us from sight of the train behind one of the half-walls, quickly glancing around the corner to make sure that we hadn't been followed.

I felt my entire body begin to slowly reawaken. I hadn't walked in days, and my muscles knew it. They were sore and tired from the immediate exertion, but I welcomed it. At least I was outside, almost swimming in the mug of humidity. Laius grabbed me by my shoulders, the first human contact I'd had since before I was chosen, and pushed me against the wall. I wanted to let out some sort of yelp, but forced it down. This was my only chance.

"What do you want from me?" Laius questioned, strangely forcefully for someone who had seemed so meek. "More water? Softer hay?"

"For you to help me escape." He let out a curt laugh.

"Escape? Are you out of your mind?!" He let go of one of my shoulders so that he could put his palm to his face, laughing. "And what am I supposed to tell Delco? That you outrun me? Fat chance!" I blushed, knowing that he thought I was so ridiculous.

"You could get another girl," I replied softly.

"From where?"

"Anywhere!" I shouted. "The next district, from the friggin' Capitol for all I care!" I forced myself to calm down. "It's not like anyone is going to look in the car to make sure that I'm still there in between, right? You could exchange me for another girl and no one would have to know."

"The camera crew-"

"They can shoot footage for the new girl at the Capitol." He looked like he was beginning to come around to my plan.

I could tell that the wheels were turning in his mind, so much so that I knew what his next question would be.

"What do I get in return?" It didn't take genius to know what he was asking for.

"Whatever you want," I replied, desperate to seal our arrangement. He pointed down to his crotch.

"Head." I took in a deep breath, knowing that this was what it took to survive. This is what it would take to keep from going into the Games, and it was worth it.

I got on my knees, undid his belt, and then let his pants drop to the ground. Underneath, his erection was evident through his briefs.

"Suck it. And I want you to swallow." I pulled down his underwear and also let that fall to the ground, freeing his penis. Having never done this before, I just looked at it for a moment. I had no idea what I was doing. But I did what any girl would do. I faked it.

I took it in slowly, centimeter by centimeter until it was entirely in my mouth, pushing against my gag reflex. I had to keep myself from biting down on him as well as from puking.

"Lick me," he demanded. I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to do that, but I moved my tongue around him as much as I could. In all honesty, I had not imagined that this would be Laius' thing at all. He'd seemed so shy in the car. It was shocking, to see what he did with power when he had it.

Apparently, however, he liked whatever I was doing. He moaned, "Oh god, that's good." over and over, his hands clasped tightly around my skull. Soon, he was pulling himself in and out of my mouth, pushing himself further in so that my gag reflex was definitely acting up. I forced myself to remain composed. The actual act itself wasn't _that_ terrible, but the sound of his skin smacking against my face was revolting, as was the grip that he had on my head. I felt as though he were trying to crush my brain.

A smirk spread across his face, which gave way to a laugh. "You're good, babe, but I'm not saving you." My motions stopped instantaneously. He looked down at me with a look of annoyance. "Did you honestly think that I'd risk my life for a blow job? You didn't even ask how I'd get you out of here." My cheeks burned with embarrassment at the realization that I'd been too brash in my deal with Laius. "But you're going to finish me, or I'm going to tell Delco about your little escape plan, and then your life will be hell for sure." I didn't know how much more hellish my life could get than in this moment, but I didn't want to think on it. I continued to do what I had been doing, a bitter shame rising up in my chest.

His pumps got more frantic, and his moans loader; so loud, in fact, that I almost didn't hear the click before the sound of gunfire.

I became covered in blood in a matter of seconds. Immediately, I removed my mouth from Laius' genitals, only to be crushed by his body. The shot hadn't been a kind one, but Laius was still alive. At least, for the next few seconds he was.

His chest pushed down on me and, as I tried to push him off, I felt his heart stop beating. His body, still warm, became heavier almost instantly. Even though I was weakened from so many days of inactivity, the frantic fear I felt enabled me to push him enough that I could escape out from under him.

Scurrying from his body, I crawled so that I was a few feet away from the it, trying to keep myself from puking. A few moments later, I remembered that I wasn't alone and forced myself to regain composure.

I stood up to find myself face to face with Sergeant Delco. I wiped the blood from my face with my hands as best I could as he just stood there.

"How many people do I have to lose?" He wondered aloud before grabbing my wrist and forcefully dragging me back towards the train. "Rebel whore."

My one shot, my only chance at life, and it'd been for nothing. I picked the wrong man. I was going to die. Not only was I going to die, but Devine was going to kill me, all because I was a whore: rebel or otherwise.

Sergeant Delco tightened his grip on my wrist, stopped suddenly, and then used the momentum to throw me to the ground.

"You turned a good man into a traitor!" he shouted. "You deserve to die for what you did!" He stopped for a moment, breathing heavily. Looking up at him, I could see all the pain in his eyes, hear it in his voice. For a moment, I felt sorry for him. If I were in his position, I would feel the same way; but I wasn't. I was in my own. "I was forced to kill my best friend because of you. He became a traitor because he underestimated your cunning. A mistake that I won't make. Get up." Slowly, I pushed myself up from the ground, trying to think of a way to defy him, to show him that I was still strong. All that came to me was what had come to me at every other moment in this hell: a smile.

"So I take it that means that you don't want one?" I questioned sarcastically, grinning at him, my face and clothing still drenched in blood. He looked at me with disgust.

"And you wonder why the Capitol has to be in control of all of the districts. You're all barbaric."

"I think you'll find that I've become this way _because_ of Capitol involvement in the districts, Sergeant Delco," I replied, my voice even and diplomatic. "I would think that you'd understand this, but maybe you don't: I'm fighting for my life here, and I don't care what I have to become to keep it."

We approached the train door, which he unlocked and then hoisted me into. Once again, I held onto the door to keep him from slamming it on me. "Oh, and your best friend? He deserved to die for what he did. What you're still doing. Taking children away from their homes so that they can kill each other. You, your best friend, and the whole damn Capitol, can burn in hell." I then slammed the door in his face, his mouth formed into a hard line. For the first time, there was a pause before the door was locked.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm so sorry it's been so long! This semester was brutally crazy!**

I felt their gaze before I saw them, my eyes slowly adjusting to the dim lighting within the train car. When I finally did turn to look at them, I saw the horror on their faces.

"What happened?" Devine asked.

"I-I-" I wasn't sure what to say. The truth? "The soldier who walked us around was shot." I suddenly felt exhausted, only wanting to lie down and go to sleep. I stripped the soaking dress from my body, tossing it into the corner, exposing my clean skin which stood in direct contrast to the blood that was beginning to dry on my hair, face, neck, arms, and legs.

"By who?" Devine inquired, her voice slightly hopeful, probably thinking that it was some form of military from one of the districts come to set us free rather than by one of their own.

"Sergeant Delco." Her countenance immediately fell, but she didn't stay silent for long.

"Why?" Funny how making me feel like an outsider was the last thing on her mind when I had something she wanted. I would take it, though. I was going to die anyway.

"He found us in a...compromising position."

"You guys were having sex?!" the girl from 9 exclaimed.

"Not exactly. I was giving him head," I admitted.

"You're disgusting," Devine spat.

"He was going to help me escape! I did what I had to do for him to help me." I decided not to mention the part about him going back on that. I felt enough shame for falling for it, I didn't need Devine's commentary.

"A lot of good it did you," Devine snapped sarcastically. "I would never do something like that for a Capitol soldier. Not even to save my own life."

"Well, that's where you and I differ."

"My mother was raped and murdered by Capitol soldiers," Cora interjected quietly, her body curled into a ball in the corner. "They were going to rape me too, but I slipped from their grip and ran away." We all looked at her in silent awe. "I left my mother to die so I could live." My heart broke for the girl. At 12 years old, she'd seen and experienced more than anyone should have to in a lifetime. This empathy caused me to go sit beside her, putting my arm around her, realizing that this was probably the first human contact she'd had since she was chosen.

"Get away from her, you slut!" Devine demanded. "You're not even fit to be in the same car as her. You just gave head to one of the men who could've killed her mother!"

"Don't you get it!" Cora snapped, shocking us all. "We're all just trying to survive. We're going to a place where we're all going to try to kill each other. I don't think anyone has the right to judge." Cora, who had seemed so innocent and naive when I first met her on the train, might have been the wisest of us all.

"They're calling it the Games, after all," the girl from 9 added solemnly. "She's just started playing before we have." We all looked at each other for a moment, knowing that the Games wouldn't officially start for who knew how long, but they had begun for us as of that moment. A tension built among us until Cora turned to me.

"I'm sorry that I was mean to you." I smiled softly at her.

"It's alright. I forgive you." I didn't try to say that I was sorry about what had happened with her mom. It would've meant nothing, might have even done more harm than good. Instead, I just sat there, my arm protectively around this young, little girl who was surprisingly strong.

For a moment, I considered what Cora's angle could be in being nice to me when it was clear that Devine still hated me; and then the girl from 8 burst in.

"Holy shit, you look like hell!" I exclaimed. And this was coming from me, the girl covered in her first lover's blood.

The face of the girl from 8 was swollen on one side, so much so that her eye was already being forced shut. The large bruises on her legs and arms were obviously fresh, as were some of the open wounds she had.

"Yeah, no kidding," she replied sarcastically. "This is what happens when rebel idiots don't just stay dead. I mean, they lost the war, why not just fucking let everyone have _five minutes_ of peace."

"There was a rebel attack?" Devine questioned enthusiastically, the girl's sarcasm completely lost on her in her excitement.

"Yeah. It was during the ceremony, when Darren was saying his name and age," the girl from 8 began. "Some idiot decided that that would be the perfect moment to try to overthrow the Capitol. Set off a fucking _bomb_. While the entire place is _swarming_ with Capitol soldiers. Great timing. I mean, really." I had to hand it to her, she had great sarcastic wit.

"So I take it you weren't part of the uprising?" I asked, a bit of sarcasm in my voice, but more amusement.

"Hell no!" she exclaimed. "A bunch of people without any education or upbringing saying that they want to run the district? Most dumbass idea I've ever heard." I could almost hear the steam begin to blow out of Devine's nostrils, but I could definitely see her fists begin to clench.

"And who are you?" Devine snapped. "The bloody president?" The girl from 8 turned to face Devine, the equally dominant personalities facing off.

"I'm Maralira. The mayor's daughter." Looking at her now, it should've been obviously from the beginning. If she hadn't been injured from the rebel attack, it probably would've been. While all of us were wearing our best clothes, hers were far and above them. She took a step closer to Devine. "And who're you?"

"I'm Devine. Daughter of the rebel leader of District Ten," she replied, taking her own step closer.

"Oh, you mean the _former_ rebel leader of District Ten, right? I mean, all of the district rebel leaders were hanged as far as I knew." The snarky satisfaction in Maralira's voice made all of us cringe. Devine was red with rage.

The peacemaker I had been at home wanted to stop this before it escalated any further, but the smarter voice in my head told me that someone had come along who Devine hated more than me, and I should take advantage of that.

"I'm going to kill you," Devine stated, seething, but without taking another step towards Maralira.

"Go ahead," she replied carelessly. "I mean, it's you or one of the 23 other people who are there, right?" She shook her head. "I can't believe the dumbasses who decided that _all_ district citizens were eligible for this shit."

"Can I just ask," I interjected, "why the mayor's daughter has such a potty mouth." She looked over at me with a smirk.

"Why're you half-naked?" she questioned sarcastically, which seemed to be her only form of communication.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Fair enough." For a moment, she just looked at me in confusion, like the victory had been too easy and I would turn into a vicious enemy when she let her guard down; but after a moment, she must have decided that it didn't matter whether or not she'd won or not, she wanted to tell her story.

"When you're the mayor's daughter, certain things are expected of you," she began. "I hated that everyone thought I had to be so prissy and that I thought I was better than everyone else. Especially in grade school, I was bullied by everyone, so one day I decided I'd had enough. I spat out the f-word in my fourth grade class and, from then on, people had a new respect for me. Yeah, they still thought I was a priss, but they weren't dumbass enough to try to pull any punches with me anymore, either."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. This girl's worst problem was bullying, while the rest of us fought a bloody war; or, at least, were affected by it. Looking her up and down, it was obvious that she'd lived a comfortable life up until this point. She would die in the Games, no question.

Looking around the car, it wasn't hard to call out a winner for the females. Devine was not only most likely well trained, being a rebel leader's daughter, but she had more hatred and determination than anyone. Still, she might hate the idea of being a Capitol pawn enough that she wouldn't want to win; and this was all not including the boys, who would also have equal opportunity to kill us.

That sealed it for me. I had to find another way to stay out of the Games. Another man, another escape plan, whatever it took. I wasn't going to die.


	8. Chapter 8

After the train left district 8, the days began to blend together again. How much longer were we going to be in this cattle car? It felt like I'd already spent an eternity there, and the days just kept getting longer. I'd washed what I could of the blood out of my dress, but there were still dark patches where Laius' blood remained. I shuddered every time I washed it, reliving the moments, but forced myself to put it back on every time. I wore the blood of a Capitol soldier, I reminded myself, and I'd killed countless soldiers during the war. He was just like any other, regardless of the fact that I'd sucked his dick.

Devine had ostracized Maralira, but that didn't help me any. Both Maralira and I slept by the food and water, forced into seclusion by Devine. While Cora had apologized for her behavior, Devine wasn't sorry, and Cora wasn't about to against Devine. I didn't blame her, I would've done the same thing.

I could tell that we'd been on the train for too long, because we began to sleep _all _the time. It didn't matter that there was food and water, though it was barely enough to split between the four of us, we had nothing to do. Maralira wasn't as fatigued, seeing as she'd only just become a part of our car, but it was especially obvious in Cora, who'd been there the longest. Perhaps it was out of shear boredom, but we were sleeping much more than we ever had in our lives.

How long, I often wondered, would it be until we finally reached the Capitol? I knew that my chance at freedom had passed for the train ride. Sergeant Delco delivered our food and water at every shift, and I made sure to where my bloodstained dress at those times. He was like clockwork, right as the sun rose and just as it was setting. He glared at me as though I were Satan, and I couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction at his reaction every time he saw my dress. His eyes were filled with fury, but underneath that was a shame that he was trying not to feel. A shame that came with looking at what the Capitol had done to a 17 year old girl.

Finally, the train stopped. The car door opened and Sergeant Delco climbed in.

"You." He pointed at me, then jumped out. I slowly pushed myself up, feeling an aching in my muscles that had never existed before, and then made my way to the door. He stood there, looking at me. No hand was offered, no ladder available. I stared into his eyes, then jumped down, sending what felt like a shot through my spine, making me lose balance momentarily; but I kept eye contact. Beside him was another officer, who immediately shut the door.

"Don't worry," I assured Sergeant Delco sarcastically. "They're not going anywhere." He grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me away from the car. "In fact, you guys are probably going to have a pretty sucky fight to watch considering that all we do is sleep." He kept his face composed, but I could see the veins in the hand that was holding my arm begin to stick out.

I stopped for a moment, thinking how best to approach Delco. I doubted that he would ever help me escape, but he might prove useful in some way. Even though the rebel I had been loved egging him on, I knew that this wasn't the way a person trying to save their lives acted. I'd been playing the game of life and death stupidly, and I needed to rectify that. Laius being killed had thrown me into the depression that came before death, but I was not going to die. I refused to.

"What's the Capitol like?" He let go of my arm, slightly puzzled by my inquiry. If I was going to attempt to flat-out escape, it'd be good to have some knowledge of the place I was escaping from. I began to stretch, lengthening my muscles in a way that I hadn't done in days.

"It's a city made of steel and thick cement." I tried to envision it, bringing to mind the kind of prisons they'd had before the rebellion.

"Sounds like a prison," I joked beginning to walk around. He followed at my side, avoiding looking at me.

"It wasn't always like that. Things had to change to defend ourselves when the uprising began." I wanted to defend the districts, to say that the Capitol didn't need to make itself into steel and concrete because they were so much more powerful than the districts, but then I remembered 13. Sure, 1-12 had people, but wasn't really worrisome with the looming threat of 13's nuclear weapons.

I could tell from his tone that he was an ardent believer in the Capitol cause, which made me hesitant to ask anything personal, to try to gain emotional pull with him. Emotional pull always made it easier to manipulate people. At least, that's what I'd learned during the war. Still, I could also sense that there was a sadness that came from talking about before. Something that he had thought of, but hadn't spoken of, that he wanted to talk about. I knew he wouldn't help me escape, but having personal information of a sergeant for the Capitol never hurts.

"What did you do before the war?" He stopped walking, though I continued. Turning to him, I looked into his eyes to see anger glaring back at me.

"So this is how you got Laius, hm?" he inquired, making my body go stiff. "You're clever, but I know your game. You won't get me to help you escape." I shrugged my shoulders.

"I know." His eyebrows raised in surprised.

"Really? Then what's the point of this little charade?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I've been in a cattle car for who knows how long with girls that I'm either going to be killed by or am going to have to kill," I replied. "Doesn't exactly make for great conversation. How much longer until we get to the Capitol, Sergeant Delco?"

"Long enough." Sergeant Delco looked down at his watch, no doubt trying to figure out just how much longer he'd have to put up with me.

"That's where you're wrong, sir," I corrected. "There will never be enough time in the cattle car; because at least in that car, I know that I'm going to live for that day. Once we get to the Capitol, my life is over." His eyes hardened again.

"I won't help you escape, nor will I allow you to escape." He stood tall and proud, like a true soldier. He was attractive, there was no denying it. He probably would've been even more so if he smiled once in a while. He looked at me with a determination to follow through with his duty to the end, a look I'd seen in the faces of so many men up until the moment that they realized they were going to die. Once that moment came, all I saw in their eyes was fear. Fear and desperation. Maybe that's what Sergeant Delco saw every time he looked into my eyes. The eyes of a girl afraid to die and desperate to live. I wasn't afraid to die, I just didn't want my life taken from me.

"I'm not asking you to." It didn't matter whether he helped me or not, whether he allowed me to or not, I would find a way out of the Games.

He looked at me for a moment, trying to figure me out. "Then what do you want?" I could tell that he wasn't buying that I wouldn't try to get him to help me. He'd watched me use one of his men and, quite honestly, I would use him if given the opportunity.

"Just to exchange pleasantries. Nothing special, really."

He took my arm and began leading me back to the car. "You made a traitor out of a man." He was still inwardly fighting himself, that much was obvious. He was softening, but he still saw me as the enemy; still saw me as someone undeserving of even the common decencies of conversation.

Part of me wanted to spit in his face, to say, once again, how Laius deserved it; but when trying to save your own hide, there are a lot of things that you can't do and say. You can't let your emotions rule over you, and you certainly can't make anyone of importance an enemy. So, instead of defending myself, I just let the silence grow.

When we got to the cattle car door, I took one last look around. How long would it be before I walked on solid ground again, I wondered. The days between each stop seemed to become longer and longer. Sergeant Delco reached to unlock the door, then looked at me.

"Before the rebellion, I was studying to become a doctor." He then promptly unlocked the door and threw me into the car. The door immediately shut behind me, and the sound of the door being re-locked was almost deafening.

But still, even as I re-entered this place that I was coming to feel was hell, I couldn't help but smirk. It wasn't much, but it was enough to begin with. He'd told me something about himself, and that was something that I could use.

**Sorry if this chapter feels a bit off. I was trying to rush it because I probably won't be able to write for a while after this. Hope you enjoyed it!**


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